THE BEE. 109 



that the account is graphic^ interesting^ and morally 

 instructive : — 



" The Bees that remain after the swarm has taken 

 its departure divide into two parties^ which marshal 

 themselves around the respective queens, and then 

 march against one another within the hive itself. 



" Presently the armies approach one another from 

 either side ; they meet face to face ; and what follows ? 

 WlU the onslaught at once begia ? This would in- 

 deed be the case if they were human beings, of whom 

 thousands would rush to their fate, and streams of 

 blood would be shed for the sake of one ruler. 



" But no ! the Bees are wiser ; what care they, 

 with their constitutional regime, whether the reins of 

 power be held by a member of the house of Hapsburg 

 or of HohenzoUern ! ' Let the ambitious aspirants 

 decide the struggle for supremacy by single combat !' 

 So say the Bees, and they look on quietly whilst the 

 duel is beiag fought, quite content to tender their 

 allegiance to the survivor : the fight for the throne is 

 merely a combat between the pretenders. 



''Would that the human race, which conceives 

 itself to be so wise and perfect, had, under similar 

 circumstances, adopted this principle of action : how 

 much less blood would have been spUt upon this fair 

 earth, whose surface has been so often fertilized by 

 the bodies of human beings, slain in battle ! 



" The two rivals now fall upon one another with 

 ungovernable fury, whilst the workers stand by as 

 spectators, with their fore legs drawn beneath the 

 body. 



